Adequate gas exchange between the gaseous contents or air-space within a cell culture container and the gaseous environment within which the container is stored is generally critical to achieving cell growth and/or function. Gas exchange may occur via a variety of features including a closure within a port opening of the cell culture container. Closures may have a vent state, for example, wherein space between closure and container is created. Alternatively, the closure may contain a region comprising a gas permeable membrane, film, or filter that permits gas exchange.
However, use of the conventional closures in a vent state causes the cell culture to be susceptible to microbial contamination by passage via the airflow space. While conventional closures having an area containing a gas permeable membrane may protect against microbial contamination, gas exchange may not be limited or restricted, such as in when the culture container is moved from a growth environment to a different environment (such as ambient air in a laminar flow hood) for examination and/or manipulation of the culture.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a closure that is capable of reversibly venting the cell culture container while reducing the risk of microbial contamination and maintaining the ability to open a port for fluid communication with the cell culture container.